Your Life. Organized.

Quote: Choose Your Pain

"Each of us must experience one of two pains - the pain of discipline or the pain of regret. Which pain will you choose?"

 

Jim Rohn
1930-2009, Author and Speaker

 

 

 

 

 

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Striking A Balance

Balance is a popular term thrown around by everyone from life coaches to therapists to financial gurus. The concept of balance is simple. Dictionary.com defines balance as:

1. A weighing device, especially one consisting of a rigid beam horizontally suspended by a low-friction support at its center, with identical weighing pans hung at either end, one of which holds an unknown weight while the effective weight in the other is increased by known amounts until the beam is level and motionless.
2. A state of equilibrium or parity characterized by cancellation of all forces by equal opposing forces.
3. The power or means to decide.
4. 1. A state of bodily equilibrium: thrown off balance by a gust of wind.
   2. The ability to maintain bodily equilibrium: Gymnasts must have good balance.
5. A stable mental or psychological state; emotional stability.
6. A harmonious or satisfying arrangement or proportion of parts or elements, as in a design.

There are many definitions of balance, but for our purposes, it comes down to achieving equilibrium.

Stephen Covey's Seventh Habit is "Sharpen The Saw". His philosophy is essentially that you can't be fully effective and fulfilled by being one-dimensional and focusing only on work goals. You need to switch gears regularly to sharpen the saw -- become a well-rounded person by engaging in activities that help you grow personally so you can grow professionally as well.

You don't need 8 hours of relaxation or play to offset 8 hours of work every day. You can recharge your batteries by taking a little time to pursue something you enjoy, whether it's reading, playing with your kids, exercising, cooking, listening to music or anything else that will shift your focus from work to something different. I enjoy cooking for friends, reading, board games and working out with a friend. I also always try to add an extra day or two onto business trips just to spend a little time with friends. These are ways that I recharge and strive for my own version of life balance.

What do you do to sharpen your saw and create some balance in your life? If you can't think of anything, I challenge you to begin putting a balance plan together to take time for yourself, to nurture your physical self, your spiritual self, your social self and your relationships. I'm willing to bet adding balance in your personal life makes you happier and more productive at work.

 

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Quote: Saying No

"We need to find the courage to say 'NO' to the things and people that are not serving us if we want to rediscover ourselves and live our lives with authenticity."

~ Barbara De Angelis
Relationship Consultant, Author and Speaker

 

 

 

 

 

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No Is A Complete Sentence

Have you heard of radKIDS? It's a terrific program that not only tells, but teaches kids to set powerful boundaries to avoid being the victim of bullying, exploitation and other violence against them. The essential learning behind the radKIDS program is pretty basic: Teach kids that they have the right to say NO and that nobody has a right to hurt them AND what to say and do if someone tries. Period.

Saying no helps our kids stay safe and avoid violence, so we them to feel empowered to say NO in those situations. Yet we are often reluctant to do so ourselves, despite that saying no would protect us from negative forces such as stress, guilt and overwhelm.

If you have trouble saying no, here are five ways to help you do it:

“Thank you for asking, but I'm going to pass.”

This is the simplest way to gracefully bow out of something you don’t want to or just can’t do. You acknowledge the person for asking, but you maintain your boundary politely without explaining why. You don’t owe anyone an explanation. No is enough.

“I know you want my help with X and I’m happy to do it, however I won’t be able to until/unless…”

This method is effective – even at work -- because you’re not saying no forever, you’re saying no right now, and conditionally. By communicating the conditions that need to be present before you can commit, you create timing, a scenario, situation or environment where saying yes becomes possible for you.

“I really can’t commit to that right now, but have you thought about…”

This method is effective because you’re offering a solution however that solution doesn’t involve you. So you’re attempting to help by collaborating but you escape the commitment of saying yes.

 

“I’m really not the best fit…”

If you run a small business, this is a great way to say no to potential new client work that sends up a red flag. If your gut says a potential new client will be high maintenance, won’t pay on time, or is offering you work that’s outside your scope of expertise, you do them a service by saying no because you’re just not a good fit. A bonus for the other party is to refer them to someone you believe would be a better fit.


“It’s against my policy…”

This is my favorite one when responding to requests that I have no interest in whatsoever, such as new business opportunities. When someone asks me to take a look at their direct marketing business opportunity, I always whip out my policy. My response is, “I’m flattered you think I’d be great at that, however I have a policy to never split my focus. I’ve done it before with bad results so now I just won’t do it.” Hey it’s not my fault. Blame my policy.

Pick out your favorite tactics and practice them in small ways at first to get accustomed to saying no. If, after a few weeks, you still have a hard time saying no, remember this: No is a complete sentence and you don't owe an explanation unless you choose to give one. When you say YES when you really mean NO, you set yourself up to be over-committed, resentful, exhausted and you can’t give the best of yourself.

Choose carefully where you spend your time and you’ll be happier, more successful, and most important you’ll keep your personal integrity intact.

 

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Quote: Increasing Productivity In Others

"The simple act of paying positive attention to people has a great deal to do with productivity."

Thomas J. Peters
Writer

 

 

 

 

 

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The Big O: Be Punctual!

Are you always running late or do you LIVE with someone who is? Listen to the newest episode of The Big O with me, Vicky and Jen as we discuss PUNCTUALITY! We talk time and tomatoes (yep, tomatoes) and you might be surprised how well punctuality fits into the theme of organization. Don't delay, listen now!

 

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Quote: Inaction

"Inaction breeds doubt and fear. Action breeds confidence and courage. If you want to conquer fear, do not sit home and think about it. Go out and get busy."

Dale Carnegie
1888-1955, Author and Speaker

 

 

 

 

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Gimme Five!

Five minutes, that is. To a person trapped under water, five minutes means life or death. It's a very long time. But to a person savoring the last five minutes before their lover gets on a plane and flies across the country, that same five minutes goes by in an instant. Such is the perception we have of time. It seems all too short or torturously long, depending on what's happening in the moment.

The power that five minutes has in relation to your organized life is truly amazing. One secret to staying organized and caught up is using every five minutes. Or every three minutes. Or every thirty seconds, for that matter.

Tackling tiny tasks takes so little time. Many people put off doing small tasks (and I mean small!) because they hold a distorted perception of how much time each task takes but doing small tasks in the moment keeps them from piling up, and keeps you caught up! Here's an example I experienced myself not too long ago.

I was slaving away (okay not really slaving) in my home office and wanted a break so I went downstairs to make a French Press of coffee. I got to the kitchen and the clock on the microwave read 1:20. (This will be important later)

I put some water in the tea kettle, turned the flame on high, ground my beans and poured them into my French Press. At the same time, I noticed the dishwasher was locked, which meant the load I ran last night was clean. While I waited for the water to boil for coffee, I began unloading the dishwasher. I was about 2/3 finished when the clothes dryer buzzed, indicating the load of wet laundry I had put in there an hour ago was finished.

Leaving the dishwasher door hanging open, I went to the laundry room, pulled each piece of clothing out of the dryer one at a time, folded it, put it into the laundry basket, and brought the full basket with me back into the kitchen.

By this time, the water in the kettle was boiling. I turned off the flame and finished unloading the last of the clean dishes. I closed the dishwasher, poured the hot water into the French Press, picked up the basket of clean folded laundry and turned to go back upstairs to the office. I noticed the clock on the microwave read 1:28.

In just eight minutes I had unloaded the dishwasher, pulled a load of laundry out of the dryer, folded the entire load (by the way, the laundry folding took exactly 120 seconds... yes, I counted) and made a pot of coffee. When I realized how much I had done in such a short period of time, I knew I had to blog about it to drive home the point.

If you just stop building up these tiny tasks in your mind, stop thinking about how awful they are and stop putting them off for later, you'll be so much happier! Instead just DO THEM NOW! They take a LOT less time and effort than you ever thought possible.

 

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Quote: Take Responsibility

"You must take personal responsibility. You cannot change the circumstances, the seasons, or the wind, but you can change yourself. That is something you have charge of."

Jim Rohn
1930-2009, Author and Speaker

 

 

 

 

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How To Simplify Spring Cleaning

There’s something about the start of spring that inspires cleaning. Maybe it’s the smell of fresh air breezing in through open windows or springtime bird songs but whatever it is, I get the itch to kick up some dust when the weather turns warm. If you know your house needs a good scrubbing but you’re dreading doing it, here are seven ways to simplify spring cleaning this year.

1. De-clutter First. It’s really difficult to clean a cluttered space, so before you even think about doing a deep clean, make the space cleanable! De-clutter as much as possible throughout your entire home in the weeks before spring begins so your spring cleaning will be easier.
2. Make a Plan. Deep cleaning takes time and energy so don’t go at it haphazardly and don’t do it all at once. Plan to clean just one room per day and you’ll avoid getting overwhelmed and distracted. Clean rooms using the same system each time, going from top to bottom. Dust ceilings, clean light fixtures, then furnishings, then windows and save floors until the end.
3. Double Up. Instead of buying specialized products for every surface in your home, choose multi-purpose cleaners such as Simple Green, a mixture of white vinegar, lemon juice and water or Windex Multi-Surface Cleaner. The fewer bottles you drag around the house the easier your cleaning will be.
4. Start In The Kitchen. You use the kitchen perhaps more than any room in the house so cleaning it first will impact your life immediately, motivating you to continue the cleaning project.
5. Stock Up. Make sure you have plenty of cleaning supplies on hand before you begin. You don’t want to be on a totally awesome dusting roll and run out of furniture polish.
6. Attend To Details. Spring cleaning is your home’s fresh start to the year so don’t ignore the details. Check for dust bunnies under the sofa, wipe down walls and wood trim, and clean doors and light switches to really spruce up every room.
7. Ask For Help. If your home is just too large or overwhelming to clean by yourself, call a service in to assist you with the project. Specify exactly what you would like the cleaning person to do, versus what you’d prefer to do yourself. Sharing the workload will cost you a little bit of money but what you spend in cash you’ll regain in time and energy.

By incorporating these seven easy tips into your spring cleaning routine you'll be done faster and with less effort!

 

 

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